5. Google Play publication

Requirements

• Bravo Solo account

• Google Developer account

If you're a company, open a Google developer account for your organization. The new personal developer accounts require running a closed test with 20 testers for at least 14 days, extending the publication process to over 2 weeks.

If you don't have a Google Developer account yet, sign up here. There's a US$25 one-time registration fee.

1. Create app

Create app button

• Once registered, go to https://play.google.com/apps/publish/ and press "Create app" button.

• Select your preferred language, enter your App name, indicate if it's an App or a game, and if it's Free or paid.

Create app - App details

• Scroll down and accept both Developer Program Policies and US export laws. Then click Create app button.

2. Set up your app

Go to the Dashboard and find the Set up your app section. We will start by completing the tasks under "MANAGE HOW YOUR APP IS ORGANISED AND PRESENTED":

2.1. Set up your Store Listing

• Select "Set up your store listing".

• Enter some information and assets in the "App Details" and "Graphics" subsections:

Set up your app - Set up your Store Listing

App details

Complete the following fields: App name, a short description and a full description of your app.

• Mandatory:

  • App name: max 50 characters

  • Short description: max 80 characters

  • Full description: max 4000 characters

Main store listing - App details

Graphic assets

Add the App icon, Feature graphic and Phone, Tablet or/and Chromebook screenshots.

Main store listing - Graphics

• Mandatory:

  • Hi-res App icon: 512 x 512, 32-bit PNG

  • Feature Graphic: 1024 w x 500 h, JPG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)

  • Screenshots (Phone, Tablet and Chromebook):

    • JPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha). Min length for any side: 320px.

    • Max length for any side: 3840px.

    • At least 2 screenshots are required overall. Max 8 screenshots per type.

    • Only screenshots in Phone section are mandatory.

• Optional:

  • Promo Graphic: 180 w x 120 h, JPG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)

  • Promo Video: YouTube video URL

Once the mandatory information is ready, click Save and go back to Dashboard - Set up your app section.

2.2. Select an app category and provide contact details

Set up your app - Select an app category and provide contact details

Store settings - App category - Store Listing contact details

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and click on "Select an app category and provide contact details" section.

• Click on the Edit button of the App Category and select a Category for your app.

• You can also optionally include Tags to describe the content and functionality of your app.

• In Store listing contact details, click on the Edit button and enter an Email, which will be publicly displayed with your app. Phone number and Website fields are optional.

• Click Save button at the bottom right.

Now, we're filling out all the steps listed below "LET US KNOW ABOUT THE CONTENT OF YOUR APP" subsection.

2.3. Privacy policy

Privacy policy

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and select "Set Privacy policy".

• Enter your Privacy policy URL.

• Click on the Save button at the bottom right to proceed.

2.4. App access

Set up your app - App access

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and select "App access".

• Select "All functionality in my app is available without any access restrictions".

• Click on the bottom right Save button.

2.5. Ads

Ads

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and click on Ads.

• Select whether or not your app contains ads.

• Click Save button.

2.6. Content rating

Content ratings questionnaire

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app, select "Content rating".

• Click Start questionnaire button to start the Content Rating Questionnaire.

• Enter an email address which will be used to contact you about your content ratings.

• Select a category, and answer some questions about the contents of your app.

Content ratings

Questions will vary depending on the category previously selected. Normally, you should select No to all answers.

• Once ready, click Save and Next buttons at the bottom right.

• In the Summary page, click Save.

2.7. Target audience

Target audience and content - Target age

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and select "Target audience".

• Select the age groups that you think your app is suitable for.

It is safer to select 18 and over to avoid Google Play Family Policy issues.

• Click Next at the bottom right to continue.

• Select whether or not your store listing could unintentionally appeal to children.

• Click Next to proceed and then, Save.

Target audience and content - Store presence

2.8. News apps

News apps

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and select "News app"

• Select if your app is a news app or not.

• Then, click Save.

2.9. COVID-19 contact tracing and status apps

COVID-19 contact tracing and status apps

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and select "COVID-19 contact tracing and status apps"

• Select if your app is publicly available COVID-19 contact tracing or status app or not.

• Then, click Save.

2.10. Data safety

Data Safety

• Go to Dashboard - Set your app and select "Data safety".

• Read the Overview section and click Next.

Data collection and security

• Complete the Data collection and security section as follows:

  • Answer YES to "Does your app collect or share any of the required user data types?"

  • Answer YES to "Is all of the user data collected by your app encrypted in transit?"

Data safety - Data collection and security

Delete account URL

• Specify the method of account creation your app support.

• Add a delete account URL link.

How to find your delete account URL in Bravo?

Select your App > Publish > Android > Publication > Deletion account URL for Google Play > Copy URL.

User account creation and deletion URL

Data types

• In Data types section, select the following:

  • Under App info and performance, select Crash logs.

  • Under select Device or other IDs, select Device or other IDs.

• Select any other that applies to your app (example: if it uses location)

Data usage and handling

• In Data usage and handling, Device or other IDs, click on the arrow to continue.

Data usage and handling - Device and other IDs

• Fill out the options as in the following image:

Device and other IDs

• Open the App info and performance dropdown. Click the arrow on Crash logs.

• Select exactly the same options as before and click Save.

• Click Next, then Save to finish this section.

2.11. Government apps

Governments apps

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and select "Government apps".

• Confirm if your app is developed by or on behalf of a government.

• Click Save to proceed.

2.12. Financial features

Financial features

• Go to Dashboard - Set up your app and select "Financial features".

• Select all of the financial features your app provides or select "My app doesn't provide any financial features".

• Click Next and Save to proceed.

2.12. Advertising ID

• From the left hand side bar, scroll down to Policy and Programmes section and click on App Content.

• Find Advertising ID and click on Manage button.

• Under declaration: Does your app use an advertising ID?

  • Select Yes and the checkbox Analytics in the list that appears below. This is needed for Firebase Analytics.

  • Select No only if your App has been declared that the Target audience are kids.

3. Release your app

Once completed the initial setup "Set up your app", go back to the Google Play Console Dashboard and now locate the Release your app section.

Dashboard - Release your app

3.1. Select countries and regions

Release your app - Select countries and regions

• Tap on Select countries and regions.

• Click on Add countries/regions and the confirmation pop-up. Then, select all the countries you want your app to be available for. You can click on the first checkbox, if you want availability for all the listed countries.

• Do not forget to Save at the bottom right of the screen.

Countries/regions

3.2. Create a new release

To complete this step, obtaining the .aab file is necessary. Learn how to get the AAB file here.

If it's your first time creating a production release, you'll see the screen below:

To upload a bundle, provide a signing key or generate one using Play app signing. Click Choose signing key, then select Use Google-generated key. Wait a moment and refresh the page.

When you're ready to upload your first app bundle, you'll see the following screen.

Release your app - Create a new release - App Integrity

• Go to Dashboard - Release your app, click on Create a new release.

• Within the App Integrity section:

  • Navigate to the App bundles subsection and proceed to upload the .aab file that Bravo provided.

  • Add the Release name. Suggested a name based on the first app bundle or APK in this release, but you can edit it.

  • Optionally, you can scroll down to "Release notes" subsection and enter release notes for each language. Here is a list of the supported languages: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/table/4419860 For example, if you want release notes for English and Spanish, you would enter:

    <en-US>
    Enter or paste your release notes for en-US here
    </en-US>
    
    <en-US>
    Introduce o pegue su información de release para es-ES aquí 
    </es-ES>

  • Click the Save button at the bottom right, and then Review release button.

  • You may see some warning messages, but you can ignore these. If you followed all the steps correctly, your app is ready to publish.

  • Click the Start rollout to Production button, confirm the popup by clicking on Rollout.

That's it! Your app will be live soon. For new apps, normally it takes around 3 days to go live.

Let us know in the Bravo Community know when your app goes live! We will add it to our "Made with Bravo" section. 💥